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While loss of life and limb is the price paid by some U.S. servicemen and women as they protect our liberty, other veterans return home relatively healthy, only to struggle with the difficult and sometimes frightening challenge of finding a civilian job.

A recent study found that joblessness among American fighters returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is about 12.1 percent — 4 percent higher than our nation's overall unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate among veterans led U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis to note, “No veteran should have to fight for a job at home after fighting to protect our nation.”

She went on to challenge U.S. employers to “renew their commitment to veterans, because the best way to honor our veterans is to employ them.”

I couldn't agree more. That is why, as we prepare to commemorate Memorial Day, I challenge Texas private sector employers to reaffirm our nation's longstanding commitment to our veterans by recruiting, hiring and retaining former members of our armed forces.

Texas businesses would be well served by the unique combination of experiences veterans gained while serving our country. Veterans who move on to private sector employment consistently demonstrate leadership, teamwork, loyalty and the highly valued ability to adapt to changes in the marketplace. In addition, our armed services employ personnel managers, finance analysts and thousands of other positions important to the success of all private sector industries.

Technology-related jobs are another great example of employment opportunities that fit many of our returning veterans. Our service personnel have a high rate of exposure to and familiarity with the world's most advanced technologies, preparing them for the kind of technology-intensive jobs that are driving our economy.

In Texas, AT&T recently partnered with the Texas Veterans Commission to recruit veterans to fill more than 600 technical jobs. AT&T sets a solid example other Texas employers can and must follow.

Given the incredible sacrifices made by our military, we should all be strong advocates for increasing the employment opportunities for those brave individuals. After all, they served, they sacrificed and they returned with the self-affirming strength that comes from overcoming major and often deadly obstacles. You put a few people with those credentials on your team, and you're going to be amazed by what you get.

The fact that members of our military upheld an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, is reason enough for all of us to work together to identify and recruit veterans to fill job openings. They should be given the opportunity to get the most out of the country they helped defend.

Since our creation as an independent nation nearly 240 years ago, our history is awash with inspiring examples of community-minded businesses opening their stores, factories and offices to offer our brave and selfless veterans jobs and opportunities to rebuild personal lives put on hold in defense of our country.

As Solis said, the best way to honor our veterans is to employ them. On this Memorial Day – as more active duty warriors prepare to return home for non-military lives — let's take up that challenge. Let's keep the tradition alive by employing our veterans.